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| Govt's U-turn gives separatists freehand in Kashmir | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 3: In a change of strategy, the central and state governments have softened their stand against anti-nationals, giving free hand to the separatists, who had otherwise been cut to size for the past over a year.
In a sharp U-turn, the Central government has formally acknowledged the Hurriyat leaders' talks with Pakistan, while the separatist leadership is enjoying a field day in Kashmir.
On May 2, the state government allowed both the factions of Hurriyat to hold press conferences in the summer capital where both the parties spewed anti-India venom. While pro-Pakistan hawk Syed Ali Geelani held press conference at his Hyderpora residence, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who heads the Hurriyat (M) addressed the media at his Raj Bagh office.
Both the leaders called the pressers at a short notice of an hour. By the time Geelani concluded his anti-India speech before media at 1:00 PM, Mirwaiz took to microphone at 2:00 PM.
Upholding his pro-Pakistan stand Geelani said Kashmir was "under illegal occupation of India" and that BJP was making inroads into the Valley under the Hindutva agenda, "both of which people need to fight back".
Accusing the present PDP-BJP government of "touching new heights of oppression" in Kashmir, the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on the other hand, dared the ruling dispensation to fight the pro-freedom camp on political turf than caging pro-freedom leaders in homes and jails.
Mirwaiz also reminded J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of her 2010 street protests wherein she would demand "revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act" and call for "end to atrocities."
Addressing media-persons at the Hurriyat's Rajbagh headquarters, Mirwaiz said in 1990s, the then government would often put pro-freedom leadership behind bars to muzzle the genuine dissent.
"But the present regime seems to have crossed all limits on this front. We are not allowed to offer Friday prayers, take part in religious gatherings, and recently we were barred from addressing a Seerat conference as well," he said.
The state government's soft stand towards separatists comes within days of continued strictness when the pro-Pakistan elements were detained lest they observe funeral prayers in absentia on the demise of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front co-founder Aman Ullah Khan, who died in Pakistani last month.
The state government's surprising stand seems to be in connectivity with the sudden softening in New Delhi. On April 28, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said in Rajya Sabha that the government recognizes talks between separatists and Pakistan. "(The) government is aware of reports regarding presence of 'leaders' of the Hurriyat and other Kashmiri separatist 'leaders' at the Pakistan High Commission on Pakistan's national day. Since the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the Union of India and these so called Kashmiri 'leaders' are Indian citizens, there is no bar on their meetings with representatives of any country in India," General Singh said in Rajya Sabha. The minister was replying in writing to Rajya Sabha MP Paul Manoj Pandian's questions.
When in the opposition, the BJP would often accuse the then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh of being "weak" when dealing with Pakistan. As Gujarat chief minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi had promised tough response to Pakistan for the terror activities on Indian soil. "Today, the prime minister meets Nawaz Sharif but the country doubts whether the prime minister has the courage to discuss the issue of terrorism unleashed on us by Pakistan," Modi had said in the national capital before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
In her famous threat to Pakistan, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who was the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha then, had talked about getting 10 heads from the neighbouring country if it did not return the head of martyred soldier Hemraj. "If his (Hemraj's) head could not be brought back (from Pakistan), we should get at least 10 heads from their side," Swaraj had said, asking the then Congress-led UPA government to take tough action against Pakistan.
"The question is: will we sit without any reaction and engage in a dialogue? This should not happen. At least the government should react in some way. That is why we have said that government should take some tough measures," she had said.
Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh and Hemraj were killed on January 8, 2013 by the Pakistan Army regulars after infiltrating into Indian territory in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. |
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